“Pitching is the boo-boo of 99% of entrepreneurs,” stated our ex-Dragonne Danièle Henkel in the video dedicated to the art of pitching as part of the Parcours Innovation PME Montréal , an initiative of the City of Montreal. An observation shared by the trainer of this training day, Jean-Jacques Stréliski , associate professor in the marketing department at HEC Montréal. “They go through all the stages from ideation to design, but never think about how to sell their idea!” he states. “They think it will sell itself. This is a blunder, because they are the ones who must make the journey to understanding and convincing their listener. The strength of a pitch is to be able to create desire, pleasure. It’s an art!”

At a time when we are witnessing a real star-systematization of entrepreneurs and where support courses are multiplying, managers are more than ever invited to tell their stories, regularly and on different platforms, observes Gaëtan Namouric , creative strategist who offers a workshop as part of the Course : "Entrepreneurs no longer work alone as was the case in the past when large families competed with each other. Today, the entrepreneurial ecosystem is much more complex and forces people to work together. Having a good pitch then becomes essential for growth."

The recipe… What recipe?

To get your business presentation off the ground, it is essential to think and synthesize the content. “In a business, everything is important, but you have to sort out what is essential and what is indispensable,” explains Mr. Stréliski, who is responsible for many memorable advertising campaigns such as Chnac (Renault 5) and J'M (McDonald's) while he was at Cossette (which he co-founded) and Publicis. Entrepreneurs want to say everything, but that is not what is most convincing for the pitch. They are not there to talk about their business, but to show how they can solve their interlocutor's problem.”

What ingredients should a pitch contain? Unfortunately, there is no answer. “You have to be careful with the recipes,” warns Stréliski. “The important thing is to embody your message, to master the narrative and to show courage to show yourself as you are.”

As we saw in Sonia Boutin's journey , self-knowledge as an entrepreneur is therefore essential to any pitch exercise. "That's why in my workshops, an exercise is dedicated to stories from our childhood," notes Mr. Stréliski. "Children have no preconceptions. They are in emotion. They are capable of seeking out something very sincere, authentic and profound."

In other words, the pitch should combine know-how (expertise) and know-how (attitude, behavior) in an effective and impactful way.

Brewing time

Preparing a business presentation therefore takes time, experts remind us. "That's why we talk about the art of pitching, we want people to surpass themselves," adds the former advertising executive. "Because there is no second place, we're going to win gold! Like the Olympic champion, the pitcher must prepare for an extraordinary performance. It's not something we do in the evening outside of our working hours."

Entrepreneurs need to work on this early and ideally with their teams. “Within organizations, you shouldn’t be afraid to say what works and doesn’t work in the presentation,” suggests Stréliski. “We often have the reflex to let the bosses speak first. Instead, we need to let the “good” ones speak and send the best pitchers into the arena.”

Just like the athlete, they must practice, verbalize the presentation out loud, alone, in a team, in front of interlocutors, recommends in conclusion Jacques Marsan , coach in public communication and media.

What is a pitch?